Ross Browner, who is on the very short list of best defensive players to ever play football at Notre Dame, died Tuesday night from complications of COVID.
Browner won a pair of national championships at Notre Dame (1973, 1977) with the second coming on a team that was quarterbacked by Joe Montana. Browner would go on to help lead the Bengals to a Super Bowl XVI appearance where they fell to Montana and the San Francisco 49ers, 26-21.
Montana issued a statement from his Twitter account on Wednesday remembering his college teammate and Super Bowl opponent.
“I am saddened to hear of (the) loss of my former Notre Dame teammate and friend, Ross Browner. It was a pleasure playing with him (not so much against him in NFL, ha!), and as great of a player as he was, he was an even better person. Gone way too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with Ross’ family and all those who loved him during this difficult time.”
-Joe Montana
Montana won his first of four Super Bowls and three Super Bowl MVP awards in that contest while Browner recorded the only Bengals sack in that game.
Related:
Ross Browner (1954-2022) photo gallery